Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow have decided to end their 11-year-marriage. But they don’t regard it as “splitting up.”

According to Paltrow,41, she and Chris, 37, are simply in the condition of “conscious uncoupling.”

At least, that was how the Oscar winning actress described their situation when she broke the news on her lifestyle website, Goop.com. on Tuesday.

Her announcement was headed “Conscious Uncoupling,” and described how they had decided to “remain separate” after fighting unsuccessfully to save their marriage over the past year:

“It is with hearts full of sadness that we have decided to separate

We have been working hard for well over a year, some of it together, some of it separated, to see what might have been possible between us, and we have come to the conclusion that, while we love each other very much, we will remain separate.”

The announcement was signed “Love, Gwyneth & Chris”, and showed a photo of the couple smiling together in happier days.

Paltrow and Martin have two young children; Apple, aged nine, and Moses, seven. The couple agreed that they will always be a family, no matter what, and asked for the media to respect their privacy at this difficult time.

Of course, in the established tradition of the gossiping Hollywood tabloids and magazines, rumors have circulated for years about the true state of their relationship.

Chris Martin was said to be very unhappy that they had left London to settle in L.A. last year.

In April, Paltrow told Harpers Bazaar that her marriage to Martin was sometimes challenging, and in a June interview indicated that there were some strains.

She said “It’s hard being married. You go through great times, you go through terrible times. We’re the same as any couple.” And she added, “Artists are sensitive; there are ups and downs, mood-wise. Musicians need a certain gravitas and focus in order to write,”

She recounted that she had once asked her father how he had remained married to her mother for 33 years.

He replied: “Well, we never wanted to get divorced at the same time.”

Paltrow met Chris Martin at a Coldplay concert in late 2002. They got married secretly the following year, after revealing that they were expecting their first child together.

Martin’s band, Coldplay, enjoyed huge success with their first two albums “Parachutes” and “A Rush of Blood to the Head.”

Their sixth album, “Ghost Stories” is scheduled to be released in May.

Unfortunately for Chris Martin, this story is real, and he and Gwyneth are now “uncoupled.”